Bradley Austin cast a fleeting glance at the young woman beside him. Fresh out of the bath, her skin glowed with a porcelain purity, contrasting against her jet-black hair, damp tendrils curling against her face. She resembled a celestial maiden, untouched and pristine.

A subtle change passed through Bradley Austin's eyes, and a faint blush tinged his cheeks. As fate would have it, she leaned forward, her lips grazing his in a featherlight touch before her head settled against his chest.

It felt like an electric jolt to his heart. With her eyes closed and the hum of the dropped hairdryer filling the room, Bradley Austin could only focus on the ghost of her lips. He traced her face gently, his fingers pausing briefly over her lips, caught up in the moment.

Suddenly, memories stirred deep within him. His gaze settled on the delicate curve of her collarbone, and a fire ignited in his eyes, a yearning he hadn’t expected.

Caught up in the swell of emotion, he effortlessly lifted Freya Lawson and moved toward the bed. But as they settled, the heat of the moment brought her back to reality.

"Bradley... Bradley Austin?"

Confusion danced in her eyes. The brief, dreamy sensation of another's touch had pulled her from slumber. Now, as she tried to break free, she found herself securely held in his grip.

"Why do you possess such deep knowledge of medicinal arts?" Bradley Austin's voice was both curious and demanding. For a girl who was seemingly ordinary and had faced hardships, she was a puzzle he desperately wanted to solve.

Swallowing her anxiety, Freya Lawson responded, "The village healer trained me." She tried to sound confident, "Mr. Austin, I mean no harm to you."

Not satisfied, he pressed on, "Is there anything else you're hiding?" The deep timbre of his voice resonated with a blend of authority and allure. Despite the tension of the situation, the warmth of their close proximity made her cheeks bloom with color.

"I was taught to value honesty," she whispered, her eyes pleading.

His grip softened, but he held her gaze, trying to read the secrets she might still hide.

A wry smile curled the corner of Bradley Austin's lips. "Honesty? It's ironic how every word that escapes your lips carries the weight of duplicity."

There was a regrettable miscalculation on his part – having mistakenly pegged her as an innocent lamb when she was, in fact, more like a cunning fox. But once she'd crossed the threshold into the Royal Garden Mansion, escaping would be a luxury she could only dream of.

He leaned in closer, his penetrating eyes dark and inscrutable. "Tell me, “He murmured, his voice a chilling caress, "why did you decide to heal me? If I discover any hint of treachery in your words, you will rue this moment."

Could he truly wish to see her weep?

A barrage of thoughts attacked Freya Lawson's mind. Admitting her true intentions would be a grievous mistake. He could never know the depth of her debt to him, the lengths she'd go to repay him for her actions.

If she were to confess everything, would he resort to cruelty or, worse, violence?

She bit down on her lip, her eyes swimming with a mix of fear and defiance. The ambient buzz of the air conditioner provided a stark contrast to the icy tension that gripped the room.

"In my life, Mr. Austin, few have shown me kindness like you have. My wish is merely to repay that favor."

She tried to touch him, but the sheer intensity emanating from him made her flinch back, as though she'd grazed a live flame.

Could a man be so heated, so intense from within?

"Indeed?" His lips twisted in a sardonic smile. "If you truly wish to demonstrate gratitude, then do so without holding back."

Her heart raced as the warning behind his words became clear. Before she could react, he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a searing kiss.

Tonight, Bradley Austin was a tempest. His every emotion, from anger to passion, crashed against her, leaving Freya Lawson awash in a sea of tumultuous feelings.

Now, held captive by his intense gaze, her long, semi-damp tresses lay strewn across the pillow, reminiscent of seaweed washed ashore. Her delicate face was flushed, her frightened eyes misted over, rendering her the very picture of vulnerability.

Yet it was this very display of apprehension and innocence that seemed to strike a deeper chord within him, stirring feelings he struggled to contain.

Bradley Austin almost trapped her with the strength of his whole body. Freya Lawson could not struggle, but could only bite his lips, because she was too afraid, her strength was out of control, and she soon bit him, and the mouth was full of rust-like taste.

The man let her bite.

But in the moment when she panicked and let go, she kissed her more rapidly.

Freya Lawson herself was very scared--this man tonight is more terrible than ever, although he is disabled, but a strength so that she cannot resist.

Tonight's Bradley Austin is so terrible, he is full of anger, mixed with insurmountable feelings, let her panic.

At this time, she was imprisoned by him, her long, half-dry hair scattered on the pillow like seaweed, her little face flushed, because her panicked eyes were covered with a layer of water fog, and the whole person was pitiful.

However, because of this aggrieved and timid appearance, it touches the man's heart more and more.

Bradley Austin almost trapped her with the strength of his whole body. Freya Lawson could not struggle, but could only bite his lips, because she was too afraid, her strength was out of control, and she soon bit him, and the mouth was full of rust-like taste.

The man let her bite.

In a rush of panic, Freya Lawson found herself being fervently kissed. A wave of dread washed over her; tonight, he seemed more menacing than ever before. His handicap was no barrier to the imposing strength he wielded, rendering her utterly defenseless against his advances.

His lips met hers not with the softness one might expect, but with a brute force that left her aching. Overwhelmed by emotion and pain, her lamentations filled the air.

Her poignant cries stirred something within him. As she shut her eyes tight, tears clinging to her long lashes, she resembled a fragile bird with a wounded wing. This unexpected display of vulnerability from Freya Lawson struck a chord in Bradley Austin's heart, eliciting an unanticipated surge of pity.